This is a summary of the story so far, since at this point in the story 130k+ words can be quite a bit to go over, and it will only become more so later on.
Chapter One:
Our MC comes to awareness as Sasuke entering the Uchiha compound the evening of the massacre, sure it's a nightmare.
When they enter the room where Itachi killed his and Sasuke's parents, the MC tells Itachi that this is just a story and that he had been used by Obito and Danzō.
Itachi's attempt to utilize Tsukuyomi on the MC does not work right; the MC throws up instead. Itachi ends up asking the MC what he should do, leaving after being told to keep himself healthy, not die, and attempt to prevent Orochimaru's eventual attempt to kill the Sandaime.
When the MC wakes up, we learn that they are a graduate student who is a TA for a freshman-level English literature course.
Chapter Two:
The MC comes to as Sasuke on the day of team assignments in the academy.
They avoid the kiss with Naruto, instead bashing their heads together, experiencing pain inside the dream for the first time. Naruto ends up causing further commotion when he grapples onto Sasuke's head to compare skulls. The MC retreats, ending up sitting by Shino to avoid the fangirls. They share a moment.
Iruka's entrance and then team announcements get thrown off by Naruto's complaints about being on a team with Sasuke, but the MC prevents Naruto from embarrassing himself in front of the whole class before they've dismissed for lunch.
The MC winds up retreating to Sasuke's lunch spot, where they stay until Naruto tries the same tactic as in canon. Naruto ends up going out the window and the MC barely manages to keep him from falling, pulling him back in.
The MC gives up on lunch and returns to the classroom, where Hinata asks if Sasuke knows where Naruto is. Kiba teases her, but the MC rebuffs this and offers to help Hinata find Naruto. The MC and Naruto run into each other again, and Sakura comes across them. Passing on the favor to Sakura, Hinata invites Sakura to walk back to the classroom with them.
After Naruto has an outburst due to waiting so long, Iruka leaves to figure out where their jōnin instructor is, leaving Team Seven alone for the first time. The MC prevents Naruto from pranking Kakashi. Instead, Naruto gives them a poor explanation of how he ended up graduating, ending with him showing off the Multi-Shadow Clone jutsu and filling the room to bursting with his clones. Kakashi enters to this, leaving without pinning an initial judgment on the children. On the rooftop, the MC derails the introductions.
The MC wakes up late with their alarm ringing through the end of Kakashi's talk; in their world it's revealed they use a cane.
Chapter Three:
The MC comes to before the bell test. While they wait, the MC proposes using Kakashi's lateness to swing thing to their favor for the test. Naruto suggests using traps, and the MC realizes that Naruto understands strategy, if in a very Naruto sort of way.
Naruto takes the lead in setting traps in the trees of the training field, and they finish not long before Kakashi shows up. Between conversation and setting things up, Naruto develops a better liking of 'Sasuke'.
Kakashi gives his explanation of the bell test, all while pressing their buttons, toying with them until the rotten tofu Naruto brought along gets pierced; the liquid gets Kakashi in the mask, temporarily overwhelming him. The MC takes advantage of this to steal the bells. This poor choice results in Kakashi dialing it up before stopping them and putting them through a different test; Kakashi's figured out they're cheating.
Having thrown them off and now able to see more sincere behavior, Kakashi decides to pass them— and then sends them off to take down all of their traps before this training ground is used by others with the threat of fines hanging over all of their heads.
When the MC wakes up, more of their life is revealed: their schedule, coffee tastes, and a phone call with their mother shows they know Spanish.
Chapter Four:
The next dream starts during the Tora mission. They notice that knowledge is beginning to actively seep into their thoughts; this combined with the fact that their 'dream' Konoha is more fleshed-out and larger seeming than from the series makes them uneasy.
When they return to the mission desk, the MC asks why Iruka is working there; it's because Iruka still needs to refresh his skills before going back and teaching a new class. They get the Wave mission with Tazuna as expected, and split up to pack.
In Sasuke's apartment, the MC screams out their frustration and discomfort with the dream before packing. On the way to Sakura's, they cross paths with Naruto, who happily joins them for the rest of the walk; Naruto is on better terms with this Sasuke.
At Sakura's the initial caution from Sakura's mother peels away Naruto's usually confident facade. While checking each other's gear, the medical kit the MC included causes some consternation from Naruto, and they get rushed to leave before Sakura can experience more embarrassment from her mother in front of her teammates.
After leaving the village, Sakura ends up prompting a lesson on economics and how that mixes with the hidden villages from Kakashi, which lapses just before the Demon Brothers attack.
Unlike in canon, Naruto reacts, but still gets poisoned. Kakashi confronts Tazuna, and also attempts on-the-job training with Team Seven with a little bit of casual field surgery. It doesn't go well. They end up deciding to continue with the mission, with Sasuke the last one to agree.
When our MC wakes up, they leave their bed to grab a half-empty bottle of vodka from the freezer before returning to bed.
Chapter Five:
The MC comes to being Sasuke waiting to begin the crossing to Wave. When the boat arrives, Naruto doesn't want to get into the water.
Naruto discovers from their ferryman that Uzumaki were known for their red hair; Sakura learns more about economics. Naruto also develops a dislike for the ocean after falling into it. They also get a side lesson in climate and erosion from Kakashi, proving he's well-read beyond his smut.
Off the boat, Sakura's musing on the economic issues that have been explained so far lead her to, after being encouraged to go ahead with it, ask why ninja would also be opposed to the bridge Tazuna is building, since from what she understands it would benefit all of the countries nearby, including Water, where the Demon Brothers are from. Kakashi's explanation that the hidden villages don't always have the same goals to work towards and that how some are governed results in ideologues and revolutionaries like the Demon Brothers as missing-nin.
Zabuza's arrival stays the same, but Sakura ends up asking why Zabuza is working for Gato when Tazuna's bridge would help his goals to overthrow the Mizukage, to Kakashi's dismay.
Zabuza ends up standing down, deciding to work with Team Seven instead, with the dream ending just as Haku arrives and introduces himself.
The MC wakes up to still being hungover.
Chapter Six
The next dream starts in the middle of the tree-climbing exercise. Sakura discovers that Naruto hadn't put any effort into studying or practicing things until the end of their time in the academy; it partially puts Sakura's chakra control into context for Kakashi, and makes Naruto realize how much of Sakura's skills so far are from practicing. Kakashi vanishes after offering advice.
Haku arrives and offers to teach Naruto and Sasuke how to tree climb; the MC also realizes that Sakura has developed a crush on MC eventually figures out using chakra, using it to push off faster against the ground before managing to use it to stick the right amount for tree climbing.
Haku suggests that Naruto try practicing the repelling trick first; Naruto ends up rocketing into the air high enough that Kakashi has to save him. Instead of allowing Haku to accidentally kill his genin, Kakashi proposes a sort of game to help give Naruto incentive to learn. Naruto eventually figures it out, and it ends when Sakura falls over from chakra exhaustion.
In Tazuna's house, Kakashi tells Naruto and Sasuke to watch Sakura while he's gone. The MC, is unhappy the dream hasn't ended, and goes to sleep within the dream in a foul mood. They wake up again without experiencing sleep, agitated at this. Kakashi tells Sasuke to stay with Sakura and to tell Naruto that he is ging to be Tazuna's escort while Kakashi returns to Fire to send a mission update off to Konoha.
The MC becomes frustrated at the fact that they're unable to wake up, experiencing multiple days in the dream. They notice Kakashi is keeping Sasuke paired with a member of Team Seven, never leaving Sasuke alone with the Kiri-nin, while Kakashi reluctantly encourages Naruto to develop his friendship with Haku.
Eventually while in the village with Sakura, the MC realizes that something is off, sending Sakura back to Tazuna's. The MC gets attacked by one of Gato's thugs.
Dismissing the thugs as being people at all, reasoning that it's a dream, the MC easily kills them before heading to the bridge where they kill more of Gato's men in spite of growing nausea from the repeat killing. Kakashi stops them from retrieving a kunai from a dying man, sending the MC to relieve Haku from defending Tazuna.
Against the mass of mercenaries on the bridge and limited by working together in close quarters, Kakashi and Zabuza can only do so much, but opportunities open up with Haku's aide, buying time until Naruto, Sakura, and the villagers arrive. This heroic moment is cut short by Gato's ship ramming the bridge; Gato's decided that since getting rid of the ninja with mercenaries isn't possible, destroying the bridge all of them are on is the next best thing.
The MC, who is beginning to spiral into a breakdown from all the murder they just did, comes up with an idea to stop Gato, though Kakashi initially balks. Both of the jōnin are on the verge of chakra exhaustion, reluctant to commit to it. Haku volunteers, and is put in charge of the genin. Haku and Team Seven make their way onto the ship. Haku shows basic knowledge of science by mixing an Ice Release technique with a fireball from Sasuke, which gives them a way onto the ship's bridge. Haku prevents Naruto from fulfilling the final step of confronting Gato by killing the man himself.
The MC wakes up and has to throw up from all of the violence they committed as Sasuke, unable to get it out of their head
Chapter Seven:
The MC comes to as Sasuke, right before the return trip to Konoha. To Sakura's embarrassment, the bridge has been named after her. Konoha's going to work with Wave for payment; the Daimyo of Wave has seized Gato's assets for Wave.
Kakashi, visibly against his will, offers Haku the opportunity to become a chūnin of Konohagakure, which would include land and being fast-tracked to promotion. To both Kakashi and Zabuza's relief, Haku declines it.
Naruto reluctantly leaves with the MC to catch up with Sakura and Kakashi, who explains how abnormal that mission had turned out and that it was a failure. Kakashi's comment about their lack of trust in him results in an outburst from Sakura. Kakashi has his words about the importance of teammates thrown back at him and is called a hypocrite; Kakashi's response is that his priorities are keeping them safe and training them to become chūnin.
Naruto breaks it up before it can go further, another small sign of early changes that have begun to work their way through. Afterwards, Kakashi sends Sasuke off to be point, a position normally taken by Naruto, leaving the MC alone to their thoughts.
They stop in a small crossroads village where a contact waits for Kakashi.
The contact is Jiraiya, who appears to be spying on a bathhouse. Sakura raises the alarm at his actions, and Jiraiya's introduction falls flat. The MC notices that Jiraiya's boisterous and obnoxious behavior is hiding the fact that he's carefully observing all of them, especially the MC, which unnerves the MC.
When Kakashi dismisses them so he can talk with Jiraiya alone, the MC takes the opportunity to pull Naruto and Sakura with them to get away from Jiraiya, heading for the village's main street in order to figure out what to eat.
They end up going with a yakiniku restaurant instead of Naruto's preferred ramen, but when the platters of raw food is brought out for them to start cooking, the MC's stomach rebels against the sight of the bloody meat, and they flee for the restaurant's restroom, where they throw up and see that Sasuke's appearance in the mirror is exhausted and slightly sickly looking.
When they leave the restroom, Naruto comments on the fact that Sasuke went into the women's restroom by mistake, and Naruto and Sakura express concern over Sasuke due to the events on the bridge.
Without much appetite, the MC steals away near the end to go pay for the whole table, instead of separately, which causes consternation and upset in not just Naruto, but Sakura as well, until it's deescalated with the promise that they'll take turns paying for the next few times.
Team Seven ends up going souvenir shopping to commemorate their first mission out of the village with the MC reluctantly picking out a notebook before they return to wait for Kakashi and Jiraiya, who announces that he will travel with them for a short bit before they split.
Jiraiya, over the course of the several hours spent with Team Seven, manages to win both Sakura and Naruto over to the point that Naruto is sad to see him go and asks if Jiraiya will be going to Konoha any time soon when it's time for him to split off. Jiraiya also reminds Kakashi to think about what he said. To the MC's surprise, Jiraiya also gives them the slightly vague advice to write things down.
Team Seven spends the night outside resting before they continue running back to Konoha. Before they reach the gates, however, Kakashi tells them to not say anything about the mission until the full debriefing happens, and makes it clear that Sakura especially should not say anything about her involvement in why the mission turned out the way it did.
After they split up, the MC realizes that Kakashi had barely said anything to Sasuke in this particular dream. Walking back to Sasuke's apartment, the MC comes across Ino, Shikamaru, and Chōji training with Asuma, which by all appearances isn't going too well.
The chapter shifts to Ino's POV, confused at waking up to darkness after using her Mind Body Switch Technique. She realizes that she is in someone else's body, in a bedroom that she doesn't recognize. Ino discovers that she's in the body of a woman in her late twenties, in an apartment filled with technology more advanced than what she's used to, and in her curiosity to check out the very fancy television, discovers the Naruto anime.
The MC wakes up on the couch.
Chapter Eight:
The MC wakes up as Sasuke. Unhappy at this, they scream into the mattress again, before reluctantly getting out of the bed and getting dressed, choosing to go on a walk rather than stay in Sasuke's apartment.
In the village, they come across Team Eight. Hinata has heard about Team Seven's C-rank from Neji, and a moment of unease falls across the group when they realize that all of the jōnin-sensei they're aware of have given their students the morning off, and that the jōnin who are part of their various clans left for somewhere earlier in the morning. The MC ends up leaving after Shino concludes it's better for them to stop talking and for Sasuke to leave.
They eventually wind up in the training ground Team Seven is supposed to use, finding Sakura is already there, sitting in a tree. Sakura reveals that she's made up with Ino, and that she is aware something is happening, but not sure what.
Naruto arrives not long after, telling them that the stadium within the village was filled with people— likely the jōnin. Sakura immediately worries if it is connected with their mission, revealing that during the debrief to the Sandaime, Kakashi had put all responsibility for the events of the mission directly on himself, leaving Sakura's involvement in the formation of their temporary alliance with the missing-nin out entirely. Sakura is worried that Kakashi threw his career away on her, and both the MC and Naruto do their best to comfort her that Kakashi will be fine.
Sakura, once she feels better, demands that they start training so that they can all get better, demanding that Naruto fights her. This does not go so well, between Naruto being unwilling to hit his crush, and Sakura not wanting to hit Naruto, until the MC tells Sakura to kick Naruto's ass. Naruto's ass gets kicked.
Team Gai and Kakashi show up, with Team Gai present to train with Team Seven. While introductions happen and the kids are distracted, Kakashi attempts to slip past them the fact that he is currently on probation; until he is released from it, their training sessions will have to be supervised by another jōnin and they will be undertaking no missions.
Rather than sparring, Team Seven and Team Gai elect to construct an obstacle course in the trees, with the first team to have all three members touching the ground losing. Due to Team 7's greater degree of experience with traps and obstacle courses, they pair up, one genin from each team to set up traps before beginning. After they return to their actual teams, Sakura comments on Neji's casual cruelty and behavior towards others, emerging with a strong dislike of the older boy. Both teams agree to taijutsu only while running the course.
In the trees, Lee gets taken out first, and Neji sacrifices Tenten in his attempt to hunt Team Seven down faster, his temper boiling over between Naruto's antics and not having the advantage. Neji ends up breaking the agreed upon rules, using both the Byakugan and a chakra infused strike to injure Sakura's knee, setting her up for a potentially dangerous fall. Naruto jumps for Sakura, leaving only Neji and Sasuke in the trees.
The MC attempts to set Neji on fire. Kakashi yanks Sasuke out of the tree and chastises him; Naruto is angry because of Neji, but Sakura realizes that due to Kakashi's probation, their negative behavior reflects on him, and all of them are under scrutiny. Kakashi tries but fails to give Sasuke a talk, while Gai lectures his team. Gai audibly dismisses it all as a minor training accident, and Kakashi reveals that he's not allowed to be alone with any of the genin on his team before the dream ends.
The MC wakes up again on the couch, aching and in pain to their TV on and discovers Naruto wiki tabs on their phone browser. The MC drinks themself to sleep after they get home from their university.
Chapter Nine:
The MC comes to as Sasuke once again, unexpectedly very sober, discovering that Team Seven is hanging out with Team Ten in the village. It soon becomes obvious that Kakashi's reputation— and theirs— has dived due to Wave, and that Naruto's unhappy about it. The kids discuss adults' hypocrisy, and when Shikamaru complains about his parents, Ino comments that they should be grateful their parents are around.
Naruto ends up suggesting that they get bento for lunch, rather than his preferred ramen since he's broke with Team Seven unable to do missions.
On their way to the shop Naruto suggested, they encounter foreign ninja having a fight; all of them turn out to be Kiri-nin, the victor an angry Suigetsu. Suigetsu gets talked around into joining them, partially out of practicality.
After buying bento, the group encounters Kakashi, released from probation in order to escort the self-declared Mizukage Zabuza and Haku around the village during the Chunin exams. This splinter Kiri was inspired by Sakura's questions during the wave arc.
Shikamaru decides that this is too much trouble for his tastes, and speeds off without his teammates, who follow him soon after, leaving Team Seven, Kakashi, Zabuza, Haku, and Suigetsu behind.
Team Seven, along with Haku and Suigetsu, leave Kakashi. They encounter the Sand Siblings and Baki. Taking notice of Gaara's red hair Naruto approaches him and asks if he's related to the Uzumaki clan, Haku correctly identifies them as the children of the Kazekage, leading to a tense parting of ways.
Haku and Suigetsu identify Gaara as a serious danger and that there's something wrong with him, and Haku explains that the original Kirigakure is also sending ninja due to the group Zabuza has brought with him in hopes of eliminating as many as they can under the pretense of the exams.
When the dream ends, the MC immediately returns to napping due to waking up exhausted and on the couch again.
Chapter Ten:
In a foul mood from their ongoing dreams and lack of actual rest in their waking life, the MC undermines Kabuto and insults his intelligence when the latter attempts to impress the rookie 9. When Kabuto shows off his card of Sasuke, Shino's kikaichū tear it apart and take it away.
Naruto takes notice of Karin this time, but is stopped by Sakura from trying to approach her after their encounter with Gaara.
The proctor of the first exam is Shino's dad, Shibi, who introduces himself with swarming masses of kikaichū which unnerve many of the genin. Iinitially placed between a now short-haired Neji and a Sound genin Sasuke receives permission to swap with an unhappy Kiri-nin who refuses to sit next to Chōjūrō.
The MC discovers that, between a full bachelor's, a math-filled last job before returning for their master's, and being at the comparatively wisdom-filled age of twenty-seven, they have an excessively unfair advantage compared to the vast majority of genin attempting to take the test and finish the test early without cheating.
Shibi's approach to the tenth question and philosophy is much different than Ibiki's, and he instead stresses that while bringing intelligence back and protecting it is important, that the human element and what every member of a team has to contribute should also be taken into account, along with the fact that sometimes there are no good decisions.
Instead of being released all at once, the genin are let out one at a time; when the MC leaves the room, they're surprised to see Kakashi waiting in the corridor outside, with a few of the already-released Kiri-nin. Kakashi is meant to be escorting all of the Kiri-nin that are with the Wave faction back to where Zabuza's cohort are staying, which includes a few whose jōnin-sensei have changed sides during the course of the exam itself. Some of the Kiri-nin who have just changed sides turn out to be hunter-nin, who choose to deal with Konoha's bureaucracy rather than help Kakashi out with the angry genin. The MC realizes that Shino does not emerge from the exam hall.
Once they have dealt with the Kiri-nin, Kakashi announces that he'll buy them dinner; Sakura realizes there has to be a catch. Naruto chooses instead to seize the opportunity for claim free ramen, but is still aware that there must be something going on. Kakashi orders it to go, and reveals that they will all be staying at Sasuke's apartment overnight.
At Sasuke's apartment, once they're done eating, Kakashi reveals to them that Orochimaru has infiltrated the village and appears to be focused on the exams. He wasn't allowed to withdraw Team Seven, there is no way for them to disqualify themselves or otherwise avoid it without taking extreme measures, and instead tells them how the second exam usually works, and gives them as much advice as he can.
When the MC wakes up exhausted again on the couch, but with painkillers, water and a dead phone, they give up again, spending their whole Saturday mostly dozing with a short break to cancel an upcoming therapy appointment.
Chapter Eleven:
In the Forest of Death, the MC almost causes Sasuke to miss a jump between the trees. The MC is unnerved by the overly large trees and further disturbed when Team Seven discovers fresh blood and corpses hanging above them. Trying to flee, Naruto gets eaten by a giant snake, and Orochimaru appears, disguised as a Konoha genin.
The MC proves somewhat resilient to Orochimaru's killing intent, which intrigues him. In an attempt to escape, the MC grabs a paralyzed Sakura and throws them both off of the tree.
Sakura ends up killing one of Orochimaru's snakes. Orochimaru finds them both interesting, and wonders outloud at what factors are involved in making Sasuke's Sharingan not manifest as he holds Sasuke up by the neck. Naruto comes to the rescue just before the MC blacks out completely from a lack of air.
Orochimaru identifies Naruto and reveals his status as jinchūriki of the Kyūbi, alongside speculating on the rationale for the team 7 composition. Naruto loses control, clawing at Orochimaru's false face. The MC and Sakura end up trying to rescue Naruto and flee, but Orochimaru plants his own seal on top of Naruto's and bites Sasuke.
Elsewhere in the forest, Kakashi is patrolling with Tenzō. While being short on manpower, the village has determined that the genin from Oto are a threat.
Detecting killing intent, Kakashi and Tenzō discover that Gaara has murdered one of the genin from Kusagakure. Hinata, Kiba and Shino are also present. Since killing is not allowed in the exam and teams of two cannot pass, Kakashi disqualifies both teams and tells Kurenai's team to leave or also be disqualified. Recognizing Kakashi as Naruto's teacher, Gaara expresses his interest in Naruto. Kakashi also notices Karin, setting her aside as an issue for later.
The Sand Sibs and the Kusa team open their scrolls, revealing that Nara Yoshino has returned to active duty. She and the other chūnin escort them to the tower.
Kakashi's concerns about Sasuke are revealed; he is unsettled by Sasuke's abnormal behavior in combat between the events on the bridge and in reaction to Neji. He wonders what Sasuke's behavior spells for Sasuke's Sharingan and what it means, compared to Itachi. It's also discovered that Jiraiya convinced Kakashi to not take Sasuke to Intelligence and to keep his concerns to himself.
Kakashi's section ends with the discovery that one jōnin pair has failed to check in during their most recent status report, and Kakashi wondering what Orochimaru knows that's worth the risks of pursuing him.
POV shifts to Shikamaru, who alongside Chōji successfully convince Ino to rest for the night instead of continuing to push. Shikamaru muses on the recent changes in Ino's behavior, including her determination to hang out with teams 7 and 8 alongside an almost manic focus on training.
The next day, after grabbing the scroll they need from a lax team whose person watch had fallen asleep, Shikamaru is unnerved by the fact that Ino's skill with the mind body switch technique has suddenly jumped far in capability, and that there's clearly things going on that he is being left out of the loop on.
Though they're not far from the tower, Ino changes directions, sending them straight for a team that turns out to be Kabuto's. She sends out an volley of shuriken, luring them out, which confuses Shikamaru, since they have no reason to go after other Konoha-nin. Ino takes over one of the other team's bodies.
The other team identifies them as having a Yamanaka and exude killing intent. Shikamaru realizes that they aren't allies; Chōji initially freezes and gets constricted by one of the hostiles, leaving the other to figure out Ino is in Kabuto's body, going on the attack. Shikamaru figures out a plan; Chōji breaks the body of the ninja wrapped around him with an Akimichi technique and Shikamaru uses shadows to keep the remaining ninja away from Ino-in-Kabuto's body.
That ninja is revealed to be able to absorb chakra; Shikamaru's chakra is almost entirely drained in a matter of seconds and he is forced to pull back; instead of ending the technique, Ino attempts to use the momentum of stabbing towards Kabuto's chest to attempt a potentially suicidal move. It takes too long, and the chakra absorbing ninja grabs onto Kabuto. Both Kabuto and Ino start screaming at the same time, and Kabuto collapses.
Shikamaru readies himself for a last stand so Chōji can escape with Ino, but is saved by a surprise save and flees. Team Ten has to soon stop because of Chōji's injuries, but luckily for them, it turns out to be Team Haku to the rescue.
The MC wakes up as Sasuke again in a small den that Sakura found and brought them to after their encounter with Orochimaru. Sakura is still upset at the discovery of Naruto's jinchūriki status, which Naruto ends up overhearing her talk about, and both kids end up in tears. Sakura comes to grips with it and assures Naruto she doesn't hate him after they've both calmed down.
The MC discovers that while unconscious, Sakura and Naruto got the second scroll they needed, and once Sakura's decided that Sasuke's recovered enough, they make their way to the tower with better time than Team Seven made in canon.
In the tower, when Iruka appears and congratulates them, both Naruto and Sakura break down into tears again from being with someone perceived safe, after everything that had happened in the forest. The dream ends right after Iruka's hand is sliced off when Iruka gets in the way of an attack meant for Sasuke from the Kusa-nin who Orochimaru had originally stolen the face and identity of in the canon version of the second exam.
The MC wakes up feeling ill.
Chapter Twelve:
The MC comes to to Naruto complaining about the training he's been getting from Ebisu and Jiraiya, who have been working on improving Naruto's foundational skills. They are supposed to meet up with Sakura to eat, but plans change with Sakura shows up to drag them to the hospital; Ino's woken up.
At the hospital, they drop off food for Iruka, who has survived, but is permanently down a hand. In spite of the loss, Iruka still plans on staying as an active ninja. Naruto has turned the tables on his former teacher, acting like a concerned mother hen where Iruka is concerned. Naruto is also too focused on Iruka to realize that the medic-nin in the room's reaction to him changes when he mentions he's learning from Jiraiya.
Sakura is nervous about going into Ino's hospital room, but the MC pushes her in, revealing that the MC knows from their own experience with a hospital stay that Ino will need her friends.
Inside the hospital room, the newly awakened Ino is slightly off from how the MC is aware Ino is supposed to act. Chōji is also a surprise to the MC, due to Chōji being in a wheelchair with a broken arm and leg. As Sakura and Ino talk, Naruto ends up promising Chōji that he'll get him food from the stalls that will be set up fo the tournament, since Chōji won't be getting released anytime soon, and neither will Ino. After it is revealed that Ino's mind was impacted by the disrupted jutsu and she doesn't remember everything, the conversation moves on to the tournament.
Besides Team Seven, Team Eight, Team Gai, and Shikamaru have made it into the tournament, along with a team from Ame and Haku's team. Sakura reveals that she is training with Tenzō, who is teaching her how to use a sword. Over the course of conversation, Naruto finds out about the connection between Kakashi, Jiraiya, and Minato, along with the fact that many of the Hokage had skill in fuinjutsu.
Naruto's enthusiastic reaction results in him and the MC leaving the room since that's too boisterous for Ino while she recovers, where they come across Inoichi and Iruka still having a conversation.
When they leave the hospital, they discover Gaara and his siblings in the front of the hospital; Gaara has been stalking Naruto. The MC calls Gaara out on this behavior, pointing out that stalking will not get Gaara the apparent friendship he is seeking. Naruto's input ends up breaking the tension before it can get worse, and Gaara admits to wanting to make friends with Naruto.
Naruto ends up dragging the Sand Siblings and the MC out for ramen at Ichiraku's, which is where the Kazekage comes upon them. Naruto shows his distrust of adults, and Rasa identifies Naruto and Sasuke as being subjects of interest; their whole team has reached a level of notoriety genin usually do not get. Rasa ends up joining them for a meal after Teuchi deescalates the situation.
Afterwards, the MC sarcastically offers a suggestion which Naruto jumps on; the dreams ends with Kankurō horrified at the idea of having a sleepover with Gaara at Naruto's.
After the MC awakens, we find out her name: Socorro. She also discovers that the curse mark that is supposed to be on Sasuke is actually on her instead.
Chapter Thirteen:
Socorro comes to as Sasuke during his fight with Chōjūrō. They proceed to have a breakdown, getting hit in the side with Chōjūrō's sword. They end up taunting Chōjūrō, who decides he would rather not fight someone who is clearly unwell, and forfeits the fight.
Kakashi drags Sasuke to the stadium's infirmary to get treated, where he notes that Sasuke is sensitive to healing chakra. It's also revealed that overapplication of healing chakra can damage the body's ability to heal itself in the long run, even when a medic-nin is involved.
When Kakashi returns Sasuke to the waiting area, Sakura informs them that Lee beat his opponent. Socorro is resigned to becoming an Uchiha pancake when Lee returns, enthusiastic about fighting Sasuke.
When the team from Supply enters the waiting area with lunch for the competitors, one of the genin is Sakura's former bully, Ami, who tries to get up to her old tricks by being mean to Sakura and attempting to flirt with Sasuke. Socorro both rebuffs her attempts and cuts her down verbally, but Sakura interjects, wanting to defend herself instead. Ami ends up running off, embarrassed.
After the unappetitizing lunch the next match seen is Kiba against Suigetsu. The fight is ends up being a crass one between the two boys, getting quickly ended with prejudice by Suigetsu after Kiba orders Akamaru to pee on Suigetsu when Suigetsu is using his Hydrification technique.
In Shikamaru's fight versus Hinata, Hinata ends up winning ater Shikamaru unwittingly insults her.
Tenten's match against the Ame-nin who is her opponent results in her winning handily after showing off her weapon skills and use of sealing scrolls.
Naruto's match against Haku ultimately goes to Haku, but Naruto puts on an impressive fight that shows how much he's improved from training under Ebisu and Jiraiya.
In the wait between the first set of matches and the next, Socorro notices that the tensions between the different teams has worn off; Shino gives his thoughts on Sasuke's upcoming match against Lee, and Shikamaru finally returns from the infirmary, Shikaku tagging along. Shikamaru apologizes to Hinata.
Shikaku talks to the genin, and Shino takes the opportunity to ask about the advancement rates, since there are far more chūnin in the village than would be possible to promote through the exams as they're done. Shikaku tells them that the exams are not the only way to be promoted, but they must still be eligible for them and that the exams are still important; Shino notes that it must be because the tournament portion helps remind the civilians that the ninja are around and valuable to them; Shikaku further points out that even with missions, the various hidden villages are dependent on their respective civilian governments for funding,something which Suigetsu realizes is connected with infrastructure and with how nice Konoha is compared to Kirigakure.
Shikaku tells them that comes down to what is basically politics, and that they'll have to get used to it whether they stay ninja or not because it will continue to have larger impacts on their lives as they grow up.
Shikaku leaves the kids to their own devices, and later Yoshino shows up in uniform, something that surprises Socorro. She leaves for awhile to talk with Shikamaru, before they return and she leaves, only to return with Naruto's wallet, which he had sent off with a shadow clone to buy the promised snacks for Chōji.
The next round of fights starts up, and the first is Neji against the tall Ame-nin Gaara had killed in the series. Neji wins in a close call.
The next match is Sasuke versus Lee, which Socorro does not appreciate. Socorro reluctantly fights Lee, the dream suddenly ending with Lee punching Sasuke in the head.
Socorro, when she wakes up, discovers that her best friend is planning to be in town during the weekend. Slightly cheered by this and having gotten sleep in the last few days, she actually looks up something from the dream on the Naruto wiki.
Chapter Fourteen
Sasuke is very confused and suffering from a concussion in the middle of Orochimaru's attack on Konoha. Kakashi comes across them, and Sasuke throws up on Kakashi's feet as thanks.
Kakashi takes Sasuke to the hospital, which is in the middle of an incursion on the floor Ino and Chōji are on. Kakashi takes out several Sound-nin, saving a nurse before doing a patrol of the corridor, rooting out any intruding ninja before heading for the remaining locked room on this part of the hospital floor.
Guarding the door is Ino's mother with a sword; further inside are Ino, Chōji, other patients from the floor, as well as a single nurse, who looks exactly the same as the one Kakashi just helped.
The fake nurse in the corridor turns out to be Yoroi, one of Kabuto's teammates, who is able to absorb chakra. Because the limitations of the hospital corridor prevents Kakashi from putting on a strong attack, the fight worries Ino and Chōji; Ino seems to miss with her first attempt at the mind body switch technique before possessing Yoroi's body the second time.
Ino's mother and Kakashi restrain Yoroi with Ino's assistance, and after Ino returns her mind to her body, Ino's mother breaks his feet and hands to make sure he's incapacitated and won't be able to escape as easily. They realize that the hospital itself must have been infiltrated before the attack; not only is Sasuke at risk due to Orochimaru's interest during the second exam, but Ino is as well. Kakashi ends up taking Ino with them.
On the roof, they see that Manda is wrecking the village, as is the One-Tailed beast. They also witness Gamabunta being summoned before another team of Konoha-nin approaches, there to secure the hospital. Sasuke finds himself staring at the water tanks there, unable to process why. After a short exchange in which the Nara compound is offered as a safe place, they leave again.
Kakashi takes them to an abandoned shed; Sasuke throws up for the fourth time in the fic so far, because this is that kind of story. The shed is a secret entrance to a disused safe house that Ino realizes once belonged to the Yondaime, filled with emergency supplies, old cloaks, and Hiraishin kunai. After making sure that they will be fine to stay in there, Ino and Sasuke are left alone; the awareness that her actions have put people close to her at risk and in danger more than they were in the story weighs down on Ino, something that both Socorro and Sasuke are unaware of.
The dream ends when Sasuke goes to lie down.
Socorro wakes up to discover that her best friend has entered her apartment, in town early.